This invention relates to boards for sliding downhill in the snow and particularly to a snow board with a contoured bottom that enables the rider to steer the board and permit the rider to face various selected directions as he slides downhill.
Many devices have been built for the amusement of sliding down a snow covered hill.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,341 to Torok discloses a snow sled including a central body between two outrigger arms extending from either side of the central body. The out rigger arms are rotatably attached to the central body and are turned by the rider in order to steer the sled.
U.S. Pat. No. 466,171 to Sellers discloses a recreational snow sled having a longitudinal central rib forming a U shaped bottom the rider kneels on the base and straddles the rib.
U.S. Pat. No. De. 319,806 discloses a board having a base contoured for sitting and grasping a pair of handles on opposite sides with a ridge down the center of the bottom surface. None of the boards disclosed in the cited art offer the range of maneuverability which distinguishes the present invention
It is an object of this invention to provide a board for sliding down a snow covered hill according to various modes. In one mode, the user kneels on the sled, facing in the direction of travel , and steers the board by grasping the edges of the board and tilting the board from one side to another. In another mode, the user tilts the board forward so that the board is sliding nose down enabling the rider to turn the board while in descent. In another mode, the rider stands on the board holding one end of a tether whose other end is secured to the board.
This invention is directed toward a board having a front area whose bottom is bulbous. Two curved ridges extend rearwardly from the convex with each ridge nearer one edge opposite the other ridge. The ridges are curved away from the centerline of the board. The function of the ridges and convex area is that the rider is enabled to lean forward so that all of the contact area is within the bulbous area enabling the rider to slide down the hill turned in any direction or the rider may lean back so that the rearwardly extending ridges cut through the snow and by leaning to the port or starboard the rider is enabled to steer the board.